Definition: EPROM (pronounced ee-prom) stands for Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. EPROM is a type of ROM chip that can retain the data even if there is no power supply. The data can be erased and reprogrammed by using ultraviolet (UV) light. The UV light clears the data on the chip so that it can reprogram. For writing and erasing data on the EPROM, we need a particular device which is known as PROM programmer. The process of programming an EPROM is often called BURNING, and the box into which it is plugged to program it an EPROM burner.

EPROM is a non-volatile memory. EPROM is developed by Dov Frohman in 1971 at Intel. A programmed EPROM can retain its data for a minimum of 10 to 20 years. There is a transparent quartz crystal window at the top of the EPROM which allows the UV light to erase the data.

The data on EPROM can be erased a limited number of times because excessive erasing damages the silicon dioxide layer and it makes the use of chip unreliable. The programming process on EPROM is not electrically reversible.

EPROM was the replacement for ROM (Read-Only Memory) and PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), and it was developed to overcome the disadvantages of ROM and PROM.

Nowadays EPROM chips are not used in the computer, and these EPROM chips replaced by EEPROM memory chips.